Mark IV Female Tank

According to what the Aberdeen Ordnance Proving Ground Museum had on file this example of the Mark IV Female tank, one of only seven surviving examples of the type, has a rather distinguished history. Is this true? The Aberdeen Ordnance Proving Ground Museum has closed. This tank is now under restoration at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum Workshops, Fort Benning, GA, USA

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank in Flesquieres, France

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA (photo - Bill Maloney)

Specifications

The Female version of the MkIV tank was only armed with machine guns not the 6 pdr guns that were fitted to the Male versions of the tanks. It was equipped with five .303 Lewis machine guns. The tank required a crew of eight and they were protected by armour that ranged in thickness from 6-12 mm). It was powered by a Daimler-Foster 6 cylinder in-line sleeve valve 16 litre petrol engine that produced 105 hp. It was very slow. It only had a top speed of 4 mph (6.4 km/h) It had an operational range of 35 miles (56 km)

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA (photo - Bill Maloney)

Tank History

This Mark IV Female tank has the serial number of 4633. It served with the British Royal Tank Regiment but its British Army operational record is not known. It may have been used as a training tank at Bovington. Tank crews of the US 301st Heavy Tank Battalion were trained on Mark IV tanks at Bovington before being sent to France.

It was shipped to America on 5th November 1918 with nine other Mark IV tanks (serial numbers 4616, 4624, 4629, 4630, 4634, 4636, 4639, 4642, 4646) to be used as training tanks for the new US Tank Corps. Some of these tanks were used to raise money in the US Liberty War Bonds fund raising drive. The tank crews would show off how powerful these metal beasts were by running over cars and knocking down old buildings. Some received a change of name. They were painted with the name 'Liberty' on the side.

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA (photo - Bill Maloney)

The Mark IV tanks were still being used as training tanks in 1919 but were gradually being replaced by the more up to date Mark V tanks as they arrived from Europe and the American built Mark VIII tanks. The new tanks only required one man to drive them where as the older Mark IV tanks required four people to steer and change gears.

Information in the Aberdeen Ordnance Proving Ground Museum document 'jacket' on this tank suggested that it was originally named 'Britannia' and that it took part in the Battle of Arras where it penetrated the German trench lines, destroyed four machine gun positions, helped take 395 prisoners and repulse two German counter-attacks. Unfortunately this is not true. Research into the tank's serial number and studying WW1 photographs show that it was a different tank.

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA (photo - Bill Maloney)

The tank joined the Aberdeen Ordnance Proving Ground Museum open air tank collection in 1919. After decades of exposure to the elements it was in a very in poor condition. In the Autumn of 2015 it was transported to the National Armor and Cavalry Museum Workshop at Fort Benning, GA, USA to undergo restoration. It is not on public display at present.

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA (photo - Bill Maloney)

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA (photo - Bill Maloney)

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA (photo - Bill Maloney)

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA (photo - Bill Maloney)

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank can be found at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, GA, USA (photo - Bill Maloney)

Surviving WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank in Flesquieres, France

WW1 British Mark IV Female Tank right hand side sponson

Where can I find other preserved Mark IV Tanks?

WW1 Tank books